Sunshine Hamster Down
by Laura of Maychoria
Summary: Karasuno goes on a winter vacation, and Hinata gets sick. That's it. That's the fic. Not really a sequel to A Split-Second of Violence.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Someone prompted me to do this and I blame them. Oh yes I do.

I meant to write a five thousand word fic and just post it, but this thing has metastatized. It is fic cancer. I don't know how big it is going to get. Could be just one more part of about five thousand words. Could be several. The next scene is already in the bag. Wait and see what happens.

I'm sorry the title is stupid. Actually, I'm not. Once it occured to me, nothing else would satisfy me.

* * *

"Hinata? Are you okay?"

Yamaguchi's voice was soft but insistent. Hinata, kneeling exhausted by the toilet, didn't bother to lift his head or raise his voice to be heard through the door. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine." Yamaguchi's voice was closer now, as if he was pressed against the door. "I thought I heard vomiting noises. Were you throwing up?"

Hinata was silent, unable to come up with a way to lie that wouldn't be transparent.

Yamaguchi took that as confirmation. He knocked his fist on the door, hard and demanding. "Let me in. C'mon, Hinata. Let me help you."

"I'm okay," Hinata said, but somehow he was already pushing himself up from the toilet, taller on his knees, and reaching for the lock on the door of the tiny, closet-sized bathroom. He had been lucky to find this little room, actually. Just in time. It was tucked back behind the kitchen of the inn where Karasuno was having their winter holiday retreat, and when his stomach had started rolling, he had lurched for the door and barely made it before everything erupted.

His hand was shaking. Hinata set it on the lock and stared at it for a moment, frowning. Wait. Had he locked the door in the first place? Yamaguchi sure was polite. He hadn't tried the handle.

Hinata sat back on his heels. His head was spinning now, and he sincerely wanted to throw up. Again. He knew his stomach was empty, though, and if he tried to heave it would just burn his throat. He gagged at the thought, his mouth still disgusting, sour and awful. "Uh. You can come in. Door isn't locked."

The door flew open, and Yamaguchi stood there, panting, staring down at Hinata with enormous eyes. Wow, Yamaguchi was...super tall. Hinata squinted up at him. And up. "I'm okay," he said, because it seemed like the thing to say.

Yamaguchi raised one eyebrow in skepticism. "Sure you are."

"No, really. I just...my stomach started hurting all of sudden. I must have been thinking about the tournament and got nervous without realizing it. It's done now." Hinata's entire body seized as his gut cramped, and he slapped his hand over his mouth to keep anything from coming out. After a second, the sensation passed, and he loosened his hand. "I think."

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes. He went to the sink (it only took him one step) and started wetting some paper towels in cool water. "Yeah, of course. You get nervous enough about tournaments that are still months away to have to suddenly run and throw up in the emergency toilet. That makes sense."

He moved over to Hinata and knelt on the floor in front of him. Hinata was grateful that he didn't have to keep looking up at him, since the dizziness had been getting bad. Yamaguchi shook his head and pressed the wet towels to Hinata's forehead, then dabbed them along the sides of his face.

"You look really awful, Hinata. Your face is...I think 'green' is what people call it when someone gets sick to their stomach. I always thought that was an exaggeration, but it really does look like there's a greenish tint to your skin. It's super weird."

"I'm okay," Hinata protested once more. But he couldn't help closing his eyes in appreciation at the coolness on his forehead and cheeks. It felt amazing.

"You just don't want to miss the practice later today," Yamaguchi said. He was so wise. Hinata had never realized how wise Yamaguchi was before. "But if you got sick from breakfast, do you really want to test how your stomach will do on the court? No one wants to clean that up. If you're feeling sick, you should go back to bed."

"But we're only doing practice today," Hinata said. He could hear the whine in his voice, but he was too desperate to feel bad about it. "The rest of the retreat is supposed to be... Actually, I can't remember what we're doing here."

"It's a vacation, Hinata," Yamaguchi said. His voice was patient. The towels were starting to feel less nice, though, as the heat of Hinata's skin leached away the coolness and they turned into a soggy wad in Yamaguchi's hand. After a bit longer, he gave up and tossed them into the trash can next to the sink. "We're having a team vacation. It's about bonding and relaxing together. It's not that big of a deal if you can't practice."

"But I _want_ to."

"But you shouldn't. Not if you're sick." Yamaguchi climbed to his feet and reached down a hand to Hinata. "Come on, let's go to the kitchen and get you something to drink. And then you should go back to bed until you feel better."

"I don't want to go back to bed." But Hinata's hand was reaching out for Yamaguchi anyway. Yamaguchi wasn't just tall-he was strong, too. He got Hinata to his feet with just a quick heave of his shoulder.

Dizziness struck Hinata more strongly as soon as he was upright, and he swayed, blinking hard as he tried to orient himself. Yamaguchi wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him out of the tiny toilet room. "Don't worry," he said kindly. "I've got you. Let's go to the kitchen."

As soon as they hit the hallway, though, they were inundated with senpai. "Hinata! Yamaguchi! What's wrong?" Tanaka and Noya all but ran into them like too-eager dogs racing down the walk to bowl over visitors. Yamaguchi tightened his arm around Hinata's shoulders, holding him steady when Noya bumped into him.

"It's okay," Yamaguchi said. "Hinata just got a little sick to his stomach, that's all. We're going to get him some tea and then he's going back to bed until he feels better."

"Tea!" Tanaka roared, as if it was his idea. "Yes! That will do it!" He turned right around and rushed off down the hall, hollering for Kiyoko-san to come to the kitchen and create the perfect cup of tea for an upset tummy. Noya continued to hover around Yamaguchi and Hinata as they made their slow way down the hall, radiating an anxious desire to help even as it was clear that he had no idea what to do.

"Is it your head, Shouyou?" Noya asked, fear tightening his voice. "Did the symptoms of your concussion come back? The doctor said it could take months and it could come back at anytime... Is that what this is?"

Hinata almost halted in his steps, blinking in shock, but Yamaguchi's arm kept him moving forward. "Umm..." Hinata scratched his temple with one finger. "I don't...I don't think so? It's just my stomach, mostly. Though I _do_ feel kinda dizzy..."

Now that he thought about it, it did seem like a sudden wave of vertigo had overwhelmed Hinata right before he started feeling the need to throw up. He had almost keeled over and had to grab the wall for support before he groped his way to that little toilet. But surely that had nothing to do with something that had happened months ago.

"That's bad!" Noya's hands shot out and wrapped around Hinata's upper arm. "You gotta sit down right away!"

"Noya-san, please, we need to go to the kitchen," Yamaguchi said, trying to tug Hinata away.

"No! Sit down before you fall down!" Noya hauled on Hinata's arm, attempting to be gentle but not quite succeeding.

"Noya-san..."

"Shouyou..."

They were playing tug-of-war with him. Hinata's dizziness grew exponentially, until he thought that his eyes must be spinning like an anime character's. All of the jostling was threaten to ignite his stomach again, too.

"Hey!" The new voice was sharp and strong, instantly assessing the situation and taking control. Yamaguchi and Noya stopped moving, which left Hinata to reel shakily between them. He lifted his head and found Suga-san standing in the hall, hands on hips, a harsh frown tugging down his mouth.

"What's going on here?" Suga demanded. "Hinata, are you okay? You look white as a ghost."

Hinata gulped, unable to continue to pretend, even to himself, that he was anything like okay. He shook his head, which only made his dizziness worse. His knees started to buckle, and Yamaguchi and Noya instantly broke off their tense stand-off and dove to catch him.

"Hinata!"

"Shouyou!"

Hinata's vision flickered black for a second, and then Suga was there, having somehow crossed the space between them in less than a blink. Hinata stared at him, struggling to comprehend what was going on. Suga's hands were on his shoulders, holding him up, even while Yamaguchi and Noya held his arms.

Suga's frown was deeper now, but the irritation had vanished from his eyes, replaced with concern. "Hinata." His voice was softer, too, just for Hinata. "Do you feel sick?"

Hinata considered nodding his head, then decided not to. "Yes." The word was quiet, ashamed. He didn't want to be sick. Not on a team vacation with his favorite people in the world, where he ought to be playing volleyball and card games and laughing and telling stories and having pillow fights, not throwing up into a toilet and then almost falling over in the hallway.

"I thought maybe...tea..." Yamaguchi's voice was uncertain now, beginning to waver.

Suga cast him a glance, and his face softened for Yamaguchi, too. "Thank you for taking care of Hinata. Tea is definitely a good idea. But I think it's more important right now to get him somewhere he can rest." Suga straightened and looked back down the hall toward the kitchen. "Tanaka! Stop bothering Kiyoko-san and come help me!"

Tanaka's bald head popped out of the door to the kitchen, his eyes wide. "Aye, aye, Suga-san." He hustled down the hall back to them, instantly ready for whatever command their vice captain gave him.

Suga-san smiled and ruffled Hinata's hair, even while he looked to Tanaka. "Hinata needs to go to bed. Can you give him a piggy-back ride?"

"I would be delighted!" Tanaka roared. He turned his back to Hinata and crouched down, holding his arms behind him. "Hop on, little kouhai! I, your noble steed and senpai, will bear you to your bower!"

"What? No! I can walk..."

Suga-san frowned. Tanaka looked at him over his shoulder, still grinning. "C'mon, Hinata. I want to."

Hinata hesitated for a moment, swaying, but Tanaka raised his eyebrows and wiggled his fingers. So Hinata broke. He grinned, slow and weary, giving in, then kind of just fell forward onto Tanaka. Tanaka let out a surprised little _"Oof!"_ at the sudden weight, but steadied himself right away. He wrapped his arms under Hinata's legs and shifted his shoulders, settling Hinata on his back, then rose smoothly to his feet with only the slightest grunt of effort. Hinata wrapped his arms loosely around Tanaka's neck and let his head hang over his right shoulder.

"I don't want to go to bed," he said in Tanaka's ear, half a mutter and half a sigh.

"Suga-san says so, so you gotta," Tanaka said. His voice was implacable, but not without sympathy. "You'll feel better after some rest. In fact, I bet the harder ya rest, the quicker you'll get better. So ya gotta rest really _hard,_ okay? Cuz we all want to spend time with ya and everyone's gonna be sad till you're okay again."

This had a certain amount of logic to it. Or maybe Hinata's head was really mixed up and weird, for real, because this made sense. He nodded, his hair brushing the side of Tanaka's head. "Okay. Carry me away, noble steed."

Tanaka guffawed deep in his chest, the sound rumbling through his back to shake Hinata, too. He hefted Hinata up higher on his back, then trotted down the hallway toward the dorm area. Suga and Yamaguchi and Noya all followed somewhere behind, though Hinata immediately lost of track of them. Hinata's head was drooping, his eyes heavy, and he had a feeling like he was missing a lot of things going on around him.

He was vaguely aware of running into more team members in the halls, all of them surprised and startled by the sight of Hinata being carried by Tanaka, then concerned when Suga or Yamaguchi told them why. Well, most of them were concerned. Tsukishima and Kageyama just looked annoyed and constipated, respectively, but that was normal for them, so Hinata wasn't bothered.

In the boy's room, someone was already setting up a futon for Hinata when they arrived. Hinata thought, fuzzily, that it was rather a shame. They had just tidied all of the futons and pillows away a couple of hours ago when they woke up, and now someone was undoing all that work. Then Tanaka carefully lowered himself down by the readied futon, and Hinata rolled off Tanaka's back and into something that felt like a cloud, and then he didn't care anymore.

Kiyoko-san brought him a cup of ginger tea, which was really nice of her, and Yachi had a first aid kit, and someone took his temperature, and someone else gave him a pill, and Hinata saw Daichi frowning and Asahi chewing his fingernails and Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei discussing something in the doorway, and none of it mattered very much. His stomach was settled enough, after all the throwing up and the herbal tea, and the pounding in his head had subsided. And everyone was being super nice to him. And being in bed was actually...really great. Suga-san was the smartest.

Hinata told him so, too, his voice sounding high and far-away to his own ears. Suga-san's face appeared over him, smiling and calm. "It's all right, Hinata. Go to sleep." Something cool touched his forehead, and for a moment Hinata was surprised that it didn't feel as soft as the cloud he thought he was lying in, but rough and hardened by work. Not in a bad way, at all, just...strong. It felt strong. Then Suga-san leaned back, and Hinata realized that it had been his hand.

So he rolled over on his side and went to sleep. It seemed like the thing to do. Suga-san told him to, so that was just the way things had to be.

X

Hinata woke an indeterminate amount of time later with a feeling that he was being watched. In his sleep he had curled up in a little ball on his side under his covers, hiding from the outside world, but there was a feeling of radiant heat on the lower part of his body, like the sun was shining on him through the window. It was a very odd sensation, since Hinata almost never napped during the day and most of his sleeping was done when the world was pitch dark.

His mouth was dry and there was a bad, sour taste in the back of his throat, and his head was pounding. He lay there stupidly for a long moment, just staring at the wall as he tried to figure out what was going on. He didn't recognize his surroundings, and his head didn't seem to want to cooperate with his attempts at thinking. More than anything, he really just wanted to go back to sleep, but something was preventing him from doing it.

Ah, yes. It was that sensation of eyes on him that was making him uncomfortable, trapping him in the waking world when he would rather fade out of it again. Hinata's eyes began to focus, at last, and he became aware of a shadow before him on the floor. That was why the sunlight only seemed to be striking his lower body instead of his face. He was grateful for the shadow, actually. He was pretty sure light in his eyes wouldn't feel good right now.

But who was it? After another moment to gather himself, dragging his strength into a tight coil, Hinata finally pushed his hands against the floor and rolled himself over onto his back. There he lay, panting and exhausted, staring up into the face of the person who kneeling at his side and shielding from the sun. "Ka...Kageyama?"

Kageyama didn't blink. His face was grim and still. "Good morning, dumbass."

"Good morning." Hinata wasn't insulted. This was just normal. He raised one fist to rub at his eye, then pressed his palm against his forehead. Wow, he really didn't feel good. It felt like there were bees in his head buzzing around. The movement hadn't done any favors for his stomach, either. "What's going on? Why are you sitting here? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Kageyama raised his eyebrows. "You're sick."

"Yeah, I know." Hinata let his hand fall beside his head and stared up at his friend. It was coming back to him, now, the way he'd thrown up in that little bathroom, then Yamaguchi had found him, and Suga told him to go back to bed, and Tanaka carried him here. He remembered crossing paths with Kageyama in the hall on the way back, but he didn't think he'd seen him after that. "What does that have to do with you sitting here instead of practicing or whatever?"

Kageyama let out a little grunt of disgust. "Someone needs to sit with you while you're sick, dumbass. So I'm doing it."

Hinata stared at him. "That doesn't make any sense. Just because I'm sick, that doesn't mean everyone else's vacation should get ruined. Go have fun with the team. I'll be fine by myself."

Kageyama just looked at him. "Are you thirsty? Does your head hurt? Do you feel hot?"

This was almost too much to contemplate all at once. Hinata's stomach gave another twitch of unease, and he grimaced and swallowed. There was only one answer he could give. "Yes."

"Then I'll get you some water. And medicine. And a cold compress." Kageyama shifted his body to stand up.

"Wait." Hinata's hand shot out and caught Kageyama's arm, preventing him from moving. They both stared at his hand for a moment in surprise. Hinata swallowed again, fighting back the nausea. For the first time, he noticed the bowl of water next to Kageyama's thigh, a damp cloth draped over the side. Hinata met Kageyama's eyes again. "Are you... Have you been taking care of me? Like with the concussion?"

Kageyama nodded slowly. "I'm used to it now. It's not a problem."

Hinata frowned. "You don't have to do that. This isn't like that time. I just have the flu or something. I'm not gonna die, and you don't have to worry about me getting freaked out or anything. I don't need you to take care of me."

Kageyama stared at him, his face blank. He had obviously not even considered this possibility. "But...what if I want to take care of you?"

Hinata had no response to that. Nothing at all. He went completely still, just staring at Kageyama in confusion. Kageyama sat there in silence, just looking back at him. He didn't seem to mind that he had made Hinata's brain blue screen.

"You...want to take care of me?" Hinata echoed at last, very faintly.

Kageyama nodded as if this went without saying. "You're my friend. I got pretty good at taking care of you last time, so I thought I could do it again." He frowned suddenly, as if something had just occurred to him. "Am I doing a bad job?"

"What? No!" Hinata was so startled that he bolted upright, then abruptly groaned and folded over in half, his arms wrapped around his stomach, when his gut lurched and his head reeled. "Ugh, no, bad idea..."

"Hinata, you dumbass." Kageyama's growl did not hide his concern. His hands shot out and caught Hinata's shoulders, holding him when he might have collapsed on his own. "Lie down again, you dumbass. King of the dumbasses. What the hell is wrong with you..."

Kageyama carefully guided Hinata down flat again, his hands strong and steady. Hinata curled up on his side again, this time facing Kageyama. His eyes were squeezed almost shut, and the room was blurry. "Sorry..."

"I'm gonna get you that water now." Kageyama made it up onto his knees.

"Wait." This time, Hinata didn't reach out and grab him. But his voice was enough to halt Kageyama in his tracks. Kageyama paused in mid-motion, hovering. Waiting, just like Hinata had requested.

Hinata rocked his head back and squinted up at him. "You're not doing a bad job. I'm sorry I made you think that. I know you're not used to taking care of people, and you're trying really hard. You did a good job with me last time, and you're doing great now, too. I'm just stubborn, that's all. Thank you for being kind to me."

Kageyama swallowed visibly, then nodded, rough and hard. "Of course." His voice was barely audible.

Hinata smiled.

"Do...do you want some water?"

Hinata sighed and let his eyes drift shut again. "Yes. Please. Thank you."

"I'll be right back." Kageyama finally made it to his feet and left the room, his steps so quick that Hinata could have been excused for thinking that he was running away.

He wasn't though. He was just Kageyama being Kageyama. Hinata smiled into his pillow, fuzzy and somehow content, despite the ache in his body and his head. Kageyama never ceased to surprise him. What a guy.

By the time Kageyama returned, though, Hinata was asleep again.

X

The next time Hinata woke up, he was really, really miserable. Again. His stomach was churning, and his head felt like there was a tiny animal inside trying to chisel its way out through his skull. He sat up with a lurch, hand already flying to his mouth as his stomach rolled in protest. He felt so horrible that he just wanted everything to stop. This whole day. Just...let him start the entire thing over again, this time without being sick.

"Hinata!" Yachi's voice, high and nervous. Hinata slowly turned his head to look at her, one hand pressed to his stomach and the other to his mouth. She was kneeling next to his futon, an open book in her lap. Maybe she'd been reading before he woke so abruptly. "Are you okay? Do you need the toilet?"

Hinata nodded woozily. He started to clamber to his feet, which was a lot harder than it should have been. It felt like the world was swaying, and he spread his legs to compensate like a sailor on a ship. He kept one hand over his mouth the entire way up. Yachi took his arm with both hands, trying to support him, and he tilted toward her so hard that she had to take a step back and brace him with all her strength. "Oh, Hinata, you poor thing..."

He felt bad about burdening her, but he couldn't help himself. He...really couldn't stand straight on his own right now. They started to stumble their unsteady way toward the door.

Before they made it all the way there, and also before Hinata overwhelmed Yachi's strength to the point that both fell to the floor, Takeda-sensei appeared in the doorway. "Oh my. Let me help you, Hinata-kun, Yachi-chan." He reached them in a few quick strides and disengaged Yachi from Hinata's arm, then took her place supporting him. "You need the toilet, right? It's just a little way down the hallway. I'll get you there."

Hinata let him lead the way. He was so dizzy and out of it that he could barely keep himself upright, never mind remember the path to the bathroom. Takeda-sensei got him there in time, as promised, then stood outside the stall as Hinata leaned over the toilet bowl, heaving.

Nothing came up. He retched for a few minutes. Awful, heaving cramps coiled in his abdomen like angry snakes, and his throat burned and ached. He tasted a nasty taste at the back of his throat, like he'd swallowed insect repellent or something. But he didn't vomit. Finally, the nausea began to subside, and Hinata leaned back on his heels, breathing hard. His headache was even worse. He hadn't thought that was possible.

"Hinata-kun, can you come out?" Takeda-sensei's voice was gentle, but with a hint of urgency. "I need to talk to you about your symptoms."

Hinata groaned, but he forced himself to lean over and push the stall door open, then hauled himself to his feet with his hand on the wall and inched his way out. Takeda took his arm again. "Ah, let's go back to your futon, first. Lean on me. It will be all right."

"My stomach hurts," Hinata whispered.

"I'm sorry you're feeling so sick, Hinata-kun. I think I have an idea of what might be causing it, though."

Hinata grunted. They made it back to the room, where Yachi was waiting, wringing her hands, and the two of them settled him on the futon again. Hinata pushed the blankets aside and lay with his limbs spread, staring up at the ceiling. He very much would like the room to stop spinning, please.

Takeda-sensei knelt next to the futon, his hands on his knees. "Hinata-kun, you only threw up once, is that correct?"

Hinata started to nod, then changed his mind. He closed his eyes, hoping that might make the dizziness go away. "Yeah."

"Does your body hurt? Muscle aches and pains?"

"Nah."

"Hmm. Your nose doesn't seem to be running, either. Does your throat hurt? Have you been coughing or sneezing?"

Hinata hummed. "No coughing. My throat aches, but I think just from the heaving."

"I see." Takeda-sensei sighed. "I was afraid of that. We had thought that maybe you had a one-day flu or some other kind of minor illness. Mostly, though, you just seem tired and dizzy. Does your head hurt?"

"Yeah. Really bad."

"Did you have trouble sleeping last night? Have you been anxious lately?"

Hinata thought about it. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the night before the trip, but that was just because he was so keyed up about going on vacation with his team. Last night, their first one here at the inn, he had slept like Natsu after a long day at the playground. He had been worn out from traveling, which was always a little uncomfortable for him and his unruly stomach.

As for anxiety... Maybe. Hinata didn't think it was unusual, but maybe Takeda-sensei would disagree. He told his teacher all of this, hoping it might help.

"All right, thank you, Hinata-kun. Just a couple more questions, and you can go back to sleep if you want." Takeda-sensei lifted a hand to shield Hinata's eyes from the sunlight coming through the window, which he'd been squinting against without realizing. "Does the light bother you?"

"Yeah." Hinata relaxed a bit. Just that little square of shade seemed to lessen his headache. His closed his eyes with a tiny sigh, relaxing into the futon.

"And the nausea, did that happen after or before you started feeling dizzy and your head started hurting?"

"After."

"All right." Takeda-sensei sighed. "Yachi-chan, will you please pull the shades closed on all of the windows?"

"Yes, of course!" she squeaked, and Hinata heard her scramble to obey. He didn't bother to open his eyes. After a few moments, though, he sensed the light in the room dim quite a bit, and he dared to crack his eyelids again. It didn't hurt. Not as much, anyway.

Takeda-sensei lowered his hand, offering Hinata a gentle smile. "Yes, I think that's it. I'm sorry to say this, Hinata-kun, but I think this is because of your concussion."

Hinata blinked at him. "But that was months ago. I haven't had symptoms for months."

Takeda-sensei nodded. "I know. And we are all glad for that. But the doctor warned us that sometimes these episodes can return weeks or even months after the initial injury. It is terribly unfortunate that this is happening to you now, when we are such a long way from home, but I promise that it is not serious. We will take care of you, and everything will be all right. We just need to wait for it to pass."

Sudden tears pricked at the corners of Hinata's eyes, and he lifted a hand to cover his face to hide this embarrassing display. He had thought that it was over. It was over long ago. That guy... That guy was in jail. Hinata was safe now. Everyone said so. Everyone had _made_ it so. But now…

When would it be over?

Takeda-sensei's hand touched his shoulder, then laid flat against it, warm and comforting. His voice had lowered to a murmur. "Again, Hinata-kun, I am very sorry this is happening to you. It is not fair, and it is not your fault. We will do everything we can to make this easier for you, even in the smallest ways. Isn't that right, Yachi-chan?" His voice, so serious and strong, lightened at the end.

"Yes, sensei!" Yachi chirped, and Hinata dared to believe it.

This really, really sucked. But at least he wasn't alone. Hinata had a feeling that this would be much worse if he was alone.

"Well." Takeda-sensei sighed. "I should really get to the gym next door and help out with practice, at least for a little while. I wanted to stay behind and talk to you first, but I think you should sleep now if you can. Yachi-chan, will you stay with Hinata-kun?"

"Of course!" She sounded honestly surprised that he would ask.

Hinata opened his eyes a sliver, just enough to see Takeda-sensei laugh gently and ruffle her hair before he rose and exited the room. Yachi watched him go, then turned back to Hinata, still smiling. She saw him watching and blushed faintly, then settled down next to the futon again.

"I was reading a book." Yachi lifted the book from where she had set it on the floor and showed it to him. "Would you like me to read to you? It might help you relax."

Hinata took his hand off his face and managed a nod. He didn't ask what the book was about. He didn't really care. "I might fall asleep. It's not because you're boring, I promise."

Yachi laughed sweetly. "That's okay. It would be good for you."

"Will you wake me up when the others come back?"

Yachi nodded. "If you want me to. I think you'll wake up anyway, though. Tanaka-san and Noya-san will be noisy."

Hinata smiled. "They always are."

Yachi lifted the book, raising her eyebrows. Hinata nodded and closed his eyes. He relaxed as much as he could. Slowly, softly, she began to read.

It was one of the Anne of the Green Gables books, a later one than the first one, which Hinata had read in school several years ago. He had no idea what was going on, since Yachi was already in the middle of the book, but he recognized the characters and the style. Yachi's voice seemed suited for the small-town eccentricities and whimsical adventures of Anne and her companions. She read easily, liltingly, without a hint of nerves. Her voice seemed to smooth over the achy feeling in Hinata's head like a soft hand smoothing the covers on a bed.

Yachi would be a good mom someday, Hinata thought incoherently, already fading. It would be fun to listen to her reading bedtime stories. It would be fun...

He was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Nope, it's not done yet. How many more chapters where there be? One? Two? A dozen? How often will I update? It's a mystery!

(My job has been extremely stressful this week and writing this relaxed me greatly. I hope it is soothing for you, too.)

* * *

Yachi didn't have to wake Hinata up when the others came back from practice. It would have been pretty difficult to miss, even if he'd been sleeping like the dead. Which Hinata wasn't. His sleep was rather light and easily broken.

The floor was shaking. Hinata opened his eyes, blinking at the grit, and he pressed himself flat into the futon as he tried to figure it out. There was something in the air. Like the sound of a freight train passing by, rumbling the walls and roof, a sudden clatter and racket...

Oh. The team was back. Hinata heard Tanaka's voice above the rest, yelling that he was going to go check on his precious kouhai. Hinata winced as the sound seemed to pierce into his skull. What the... Why was this painful? He _liked_ Tanaka. He wanted to see him, and of course the rest of the team, he wanted...

Ow ow ow. Hinata gasped, his hands flying to his head while his eyes squinted shut. The room was still pleasantly dim, but his head _hurt._ He felt like his temples were being pierced with needles. Where was Yachi? Maybe she could tell the others to leave him alone. Hinata opened one eye and squinted around the room, but she was nowhere in sight.

Oh, crap. Footsteps were thudding down the hall toward him, shaking the floor harder. It seemed to rattle Hinata's oversensitive skull. Just as the door started to slide open, his rolled onto his side and pulled the blankets over his head. He curled up into a tiny ball, turtling up in the middle of the futon, his knees to his chest and his head ducked down. His hands clenched in the blankets, sealing him into a tight, dark cocoon.

Tanaka's loud footsteps halted at the door, as if he was shocked by the sight of the blanket ball curled up on the floor. Hinata closed his eyes and kind of hoped that Tanaka would maybe just go away. And it made him want to cry that he felt like this but he just... He couldn't deal with it right now. He hurt too much, and Tanaka was too loud.

After a long, somehow contemplative moment, Tanaka took two steps into the room. The sounds were much softer now, though. Almost as if Tanaka was trying to tiptoe. "Hinata?"

Another set of footsteps clattered up the hallway, Noya laughing boisterously, and Hinata shivered and tucked himself in even tighter. In the doorway, though, again, the sounds of Noya's loud approach suddenly stopped. It was if he had run into a wall. Hinata heard rustling, a thump, and a fierce _"Shhhh."_

Noya was completely confused. "Ryuu, what are you...?"

Again, the ferocious _shh_ sound. Hinata imagined Tanaka pressing a hand over his mouth as his fist clenched on Noya's shoulder, holding him back. "Hinata's head hurts," Tanaka whispered so loudly that Hinata was pretty sure the whole building heard him.

Noya went still and quiet, and his footsteps stilled on the matting. "Oh." He sounded abashed. Hinata couldn't remember ever hearing him sound like that. "I forgot. Do you think he's sleeping?"

Tanaka made a considering noise. "Probably not."

Hinata squeezed his eyes shut in the darkness. The blanket ball was probably shivering with his movements, giving him away. Sure enough, after a moment Tanaka and Noya's footsteps began to approach again. They were much, much quieter now. Both were doing their best to hush themselves, and though they weren't entirely successful, Hinata appreciated the effort.

"Hinata?" Tanaka's voice was close now, almost in Hinata's ear. He must be crouching down by the futon. "Are you okay?"

"Mmm," Hinata forced out. He wasn't sure if it was a yes or a no.

A pause. "Do you need anything?"

Hinata thought about it. He needed his head to stop hurting. He needed the world to stop lurching around and threatening to throw him off. He needed to be strong and well again so he could enjoy the time with his teammates instead of cowering away from them like an idiot.

"Um." He couldn't ask for any of that. He would just make Tanaka feel bad. "Could I have some ginger soda?"

Tanaka was quiet for a moment. Hinata almost heard his eyebrows raising. "Ginger soda?"

"When my stomach hurts at home my mom buys ginger soda." Hinata heard the weepiness in his voice, but he couldn't make it go away. He was miserable and he wanted his own bed and he wanted his mom and he wanted his tummy to stop rumbling. So he wanted ginger soda.

"I'm sorry, Hinata." Tanaka's voice was thick with regret. "I don't think there are any vending machines here at the inn, and all we have in the fridge is sports drinks. And, um, milk. I think. I checked when Kiyoko-san was making tea."

"How 'bout one of those, huh, Shouyou?" Noya piped up. "I can get a drink for you from the fridge. You want Pocari? Maybe some more tea?"

"I want ginger soda."

Tanaka and Noya went silent for a moment, unable to form a response. Then came more footsteps, more clattering and noise, as the rest of the team filtered into the room to check on Hinata, too. After a brief moment to take in the scene, their voices immediately became concerned.

"Hey, is he all right?" several people asked at once.

"Why is he curled up in a ball?" That was Narita, faintly indignant.

"Tanaka, what happened to Hinata?" Asahi's worry cut through the crowd.

"You didn't do something to him, did you?" Ennoshita's voice was edging on accusatory.

Tanaka started to protest, but Hinata couldn't let that stand. He abruptly let go of his tight hold on the blankets and poked his head out so he could could blink blurrily at his teammates. When the cool air hit his face, he realized that his eyes were wet, and his cheeks, too, and it was completely terrible. But he couldn't retreat now.

"Tanaka-senpai didn't do anything to me. I'm just really not feeling good and I want ginger soda."

Daichi and Suga looked at each other, their eyebrows rising. Yamaguchi's forehead wrinkled in sympathy, Kageyama frowned, and Asahi looked even more worried. Tanaka looked at Hinata, then back behind himself to the team. "I was trying to tell him that there isn't any in the building, but we could get him some ginger tea..."

"I don't want _tea,"_ Hinata said, a measure of heat rising in his voice. How many times did he have to say it? A sudden wave of homesickness welled up in his chest, completely overwhelming him. He was surrounded by people he knew and cared about, people who had been there for some of both the best times and worst times in his entire life, and none of them seemed to _understand_ what he was trying to _say._ "I want ginger _soda."_

The team was silent for a moment. Then Tsukishima blew out the loudest sigh ever heard in the history of the universe and rolled his eyes so hard that they almost fell out of his head. "Good grief. Listen to this."

Hinata's stomach rolled, and his face twisted up as he tried to keep from bursting into tears like the tiny, annoying child Tsukishima clearly thought he was. "I'm sorry I'm being a pain."

Tanaka lifted his hands in consternation, and Noya looked like he was a centimeter from crying right along with Hinata. Before it all became too much for Hinata and he buried his face in his pillow so he wouldn't have to deal with anything anymore, he saw Tsukishima slip out the door even while most of the others were moving closer. It was just too annoying for Tsukishima, obviously, and Hinata couldn't blame him.

What followed was possibly the most mortifying five minutes of Hinata's life. Everyone just wanted so badly to make him feel better, but none of them knew what to do. Someone patted his back, and someone pet his hair, and practically everyone was talking, sometimes taking turns, sometimes all at once.

There were offers of every drink in the building, as well as several foods which sounded entirely unappetizing with Hinata's stomach acting the way it was. Yachi promised to read to him, Ennoshita promised movies on his computer, Tanaka promised more piggy-back rides as soon he felt up to it, and Kageyama tried to distract him with talk about volleyball and practicing their quick. "How about that, Hinata, would you like that?" became a familiar refrain in the room, and it started to become exhausting.

They were all sorry that he was miserable and they wanted to fix it, but they couldn't. Hinata felt bad for making everyone else feel bad, and that just made everything even worse. He didn't want any of the things they were offering to him. He just wanted to curl up in a ball and not have to feel anything or think about anything until his body started cooperating with him again.

And ginger soda. He wanted ginger soda. But that was all. He didn't want anything else.

At long last, Daichi's voice sliced through the noisy tension in the room. "Okay! That's enough. None of this is helping. Takeda-sensei said that Hinata's head is hurting him and he's sensitive to light and noise. We're probably making it worse for him instead of better."

Everyone shut up at that. Hinata was grateful, though he stayed curled up as small as he could make himself, hiding his face. The quiet was a relief. He wanted to make everyone happy by being whole and himself and playful again, but he just couldn't do it right now.

"Good grief." Tsukishima's voice again. "Did you keep it up the entire time I was I gone?"

Hinata opened one eye and peeked at the room in curiosity. What was Tsukishima talking about? The others look back at the entrance of the room where Tsukishima stood, his shoulders slumped. He held a bottle of orangey-brown liquid in his hand.

Hinata squinted at it. Could it... Could it really be... Tsukishima grimaced in distaste, then picked his way through the room to Hinata's side and crouched down, long limbs moving smoothly and gracefully. He set the bottle down just a few inches from Hinata's nose. Hinata struggled to make his eyes focus on it.

"There's a convenience store just down the road," Tsukishima said, his voice completely flat. "I'm surprised no one else thought of it." _You are all idiots,_ his tone implied, but that was normal for Tsukishima.

Everyone had gone hushed. Hinata peered at the bottle with one bleary eye, then slowly turned his head on the pillow so he could look at more clearly. It was that perfect shade of orange-tinged tan, sparkling and gorgeous. The bottle glistened with condensation, as if it had been in an ice-cold fridge and Tsukishima had been walking through a hot summer afternoon, not a wintery landscape in Miyagi.

Hinata slowly reached out with one hand, index finger extended. "Can I... Really?" he asked.

Tsukishima nodded solemnly. "Yes. I got it for you."

"Thank you." Hinata's voice was soft and humble. "I really appreciate it."

"It was nothing."

After what seemed a slow century, Hinata's finger finally touched the cool glass. After a second to make sure it was really real and right there in front of him, he wrapped his hand around the neck of the bottle and dragged it close to his face. He pressed the cool surface against his burning cheek and closed his eyes.

"Do you want me to help you open it?" Tanaka asked.

After a moment of consideration, Hinata nodded. He gave the bottle over to Tanaka, though reluctantly, and Tanaka popped it open with a quick snap of his wrist, then gave it back. A bendy straw appeared from somewhere, and Noya put it in the bottle for him so Hinata wouldn't have to sit up to drink it. And finally, finally, Hinata took a sip.

It tasted like home.

After a few moments, Daichi's voice sounded in the dead silence. "All right, all right, enough. Everyone out. Hinata is obviously not ready for visitors. We need to let him rest."

With only a bit of grumbling, most of the team began to meander out. Kageyama took the longest, standing in the doorway staring back at Hinata with uncertainty in his face. Hinata let go of the bottle with one hand to wave at him. "It's okay. Go have fun with the team. I'll be okay."

After a long interval, only Tanaka was left. He knelt at Hinata's side, quiet as could be. He was watching Hinata steadily, as if he couldn't bear to look away. "Do you really want to be alone?" he asked. "I know we were all too noisy and overwhelming, and we're sorry for that. But I can be quiet, if you want me to be. Would you let me sit with you?"

Hinata sighed. His eyes were starting to droop. He felt terribly drained and worn down, like a rug trod on by too many feet. "No," he said. "I don't really want to be alone. I like having people around."

"Then I'll stay."

"You don't have to."

"I want to." Tanaka settled back on his heels and looked around the dim room. He started to shrug out of his jacket, and a waft of post-practice sweat puffed away in the still air.

Hinata wrinkled up his nose. He wished he'd been at practice. He wished he smelled like sweat, too. And not sweat from being cooped up under a bunch of blankets while his body rebelled against him, either.

"I'm sorry I was such a baby," Hinata said.

"You're allowed," Tanaka said. "It's tough being sick. We all just want you to feel better."

"I know." Hinata blew out a breath. "I hope this goes away soon. I want to have fun with everyone."

"We all want that. But you shouldn't feel any pressure to get better. It'll happen in its own time." Tanaka's fingers tapped on his knees, and Hinata thought it was pretty obvious that he didn't enjoy being still, no matter what he said. "If you need peace and quiet, we can do peace and quiet. We did it before, didn't we?"

"This is the worst headache I've had since that very first day," Hinata said glumly. "I don't remember the hospital well, but I know I hurt a lot, especially the first day. I needed Kageyama to stay with me until my mom got there, because I felt like my head was going to drift away without someone I knew around. He was really helpful."

"I'm glad," Tanaka said. "We were all proud of how well Kageyama helped you during that time. It was hard for him, but he never stopped trying."

"Yeah. He was like...like an anchor. It was amazing."

"Do you need an anchor now?"

Hinata contemplated this, sucking away at his ginger soda. "Yeah. I think so. It's not quite as bad as it was then, but...it's pretty bad."

"Could I try to be that for you?"

Hinata smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you."

"Happy to do it."

So they just...hung out. It was weird to spend time together without jumping around or playing volleyball or watching action movies or playing boisterous card games, but it was cool, too. Tanaka rambled about things he liked, music he listened to, things he did with Noya, all stuff that Hinata had never heard before despite spending time with Tanaka almost daily. Once in a while Tanaka's voice started to rise when he got excited, but he would catch himself and give Hinata guilty look, then quiet down again.

Eventually, though, Tanaka started to fidget pretty strongly. Hinata was drooping, and he knew was going to fall asleep soon. It didn't make sense for both of them to be trapped in this dim, quiet room when only Hinata was the sick one. There had to be a better solution.

Hinata yawned and snuggled down into his futon. "Thanks for sitting with me, Tanaka-senpai."

Tanaka grinned, broad and genuine. "It was nothing."

"You don't hafta stay here if you don't wanna." Hinata yawned again, blurring his words, and let his eyes slide shut. "I bet Noya-senpai is waiting for you. And you need a shower."

Tanaka pretended indignation. "Hey! I think you meant to say that I smell like a field full of flowers."

Hinata grinned, opening his eyes just a fraction so he could look at his senpai. "Yeah, that's what I meant. But c'mon. You don't have to sit with me while I sleep. And I'm gonna be sleeping real soon."

Tanaka went still. Even the fidgeting stopped. "You said you don't want to be alone."

"I don't, but... Someone else can come when I wake up next time, right? You guys all took turns last time. I think Kageyama will be mad if you don't let him take care of me sometimes."

Tanaka laughed deep in his chest. "That's true."

"So go on. Take a shower. Send someone else later."

"Okay." Tanaka hesitated for a moment longer, then leaned over and patted Hinata's head as softly as it had ever been patted. "Sleep well, little kouhai. We'll all be looking out for ya."

"I know."

And that was good enough.

X

The next time Hinata woke up, he felt almost immediately lonely. Tanaka had gone, as he'd requested, but no one else was there in his place. Hinata felt limp and drained, laid out on the floor like wet noodles left to dry, and while he wasn't in a lot of pain right now, he wasn't comfortable either. Being sick was horrible.

For a moment, he longed with all his heart to be at home, where his mother would make rice porridge for him and Natsu would snuggle into his side and want to watch Pythagoras Switch until he was thoroughly bored. And he would be in his own bed, too, safe in his room surrounded by things he knew and loved, not trapped in an impersonal room in an inn far away from where he lived. He felt kind of guilty for being homesick, but he couldn't help it. Being sick far away from his home and family was just...so disorienting.

A gentle knock at the door interrupted his gloomy musings, and Hinata rolled his head over to see Ennoshita standing at the entrance to the room, smiling kindly. Kinoshita and Narita were right behind him, peeking over and around his shoulders. "Is it all right if we come in?" Ennoshita asked. "Tanaka said you would like some company if you were awake, and we were looking for a quiet place to talk. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, yeah. Of course." Hinata started trying to struggle up onto his elbows to give him a semi-normal greeting, but he gave it up as a bad job. He sank back into the futon and just waved a hand at them instead. "Please come in, senpai. Why were you looking for somewhere to talk?"

"We wanted to discuss script ideas for the next video project." Ennoshita stepped into the room and sat down a couple of paces away from Hinata's futon. Narita and Kinoshita arranged themselves nearby, both turned partly toward Hinata as well as each other, so he felt included in their circle even though they were sitting up and he was lying down.

Narita slipped off his indoor slippers and wiggled his stocking feet against the matting. "Everyone's taking free time, now, and Kino and Ennoshita and I have been looking forward for a chance to have a script meeting ever since we came here. This seemed like a good chance, and Ennoshita thought you might enjoy listening in, or you might have ideas of your own."

Kinoshita nodded, an easy grin spreading across his face. "You've been in lots of Chikara's projects now, but we've never gotten your creative input before. It might be fun."

Ennoshita watched Hinata carefully. "Only if you're not feeling too worn out and sick, though. If we get to be too much for you, we can leave. And if you don't want to say anything, you don't have to. We can just sit here and talk."

Hinata grinned. This was so cool! He had always wondered how Ennoshita and his buddies came up with the amazing things they did for their video parodies. He didn't think he was very creative himself, so he wasn't sure he would have anything to contribute, but it would be tons of fun to listen in. "I'm not too tired! That sounds awesome. Thank you for thinking of me!"

Ennoshita smiled, his eyes warm and relieved. "Of course." He looked to Kinoshita. "So, what were we thinking of?"

Kinoshita nodded, serious as he rarely ever was when not on the volleyball court, where he gave everything he had. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Or maybe it was a napkin. Hinata squinted at it, but he couldn't make out any of the messy writing on the pale scrap.

Kinoshita bent over and flattened the paper against the floor. He was squinting at it, too. "We had a few thoughts over dinner, so I wrote them down. Tried to, anyway." He poked one finger at the scrap and trailed his finger over a word. "...Robots?"

Narita grinned. "Robots, or mech pilots?"

"There are a lot of similarities."

Ennoshita made a thoughtful noise. "I'm not sure we have the resources to make convincing robot costumes."

"They don't have to be costumes," Narita said. "We could use toys for the robot scenes. Tanaka has a rather scary collection of robot figures, some of them very high quality."

"I'm not going to ask how you know that," Kinoshita said. "I also am not going to pretend that I'm surprised. Because I'm not."

Ennoshita folded his arms over his chest and grunted at the ceiling. "Toys might work, but I don't know if we'll have time for any stop-motion animation. That kind of art takes forever. We're wanting to make this in a weekend when Aone and Akaashi are available."

Narita rubbed his chin. "The robot scenes wouldn't have to be filmed at the same time as the live-action scenes. That could be an evening project."

Ennoshita rocked his head in reluctance. "I'm still not sure we have the time and resources for that much effort. We're high school students making ridiculous parody videos for fun. If it takes too long, people are going to lose interest and the project will never get finished."

Kinoshita snickered behind his hand. "You're speaking from experience."

"Long experience," Ennoshita said gloomily. "You would be disgusted if you knew how many half-finished video projects are wasting away in my hard drive."

"I've seen them," Narita said. "All of them. You might want to consider a computer password. And maybe not inviting Kino over and letting him have the run of the house."

Ennoshita squinted at him. Kinoshita's snickers turned into guffaws, and he fell over on his back, both hands jammed over his mouth. Narita smiled beatifically, looking straight into Ennoshita's eyes without looking away. He even raised his eyebrows.

"I think you should really finish the one with the bird made of sand," Narita said charitably. "It has great potential."

Hinata giggled, too. It wasn't often he got to see these three senpai acting like kids the way they were now. He hoped that he and Kageyama and Yamaguchi and yes, even Tsukishima, would have this much fun together when they were a little older.

Ennoshita looked to Hinata, his eyes softening. His arms loosened from their tight wrap around his chest, falling down so his hands rested on his thighs. "What do you think, Hinata? If we did robots, would you rather have people dressed in costumes, which won't look as good but will be easy to knock out in a weekend, or stop-motion robot toys, which will look better but take much longer?"

Hinata blinked. He hadn't expected to be consulted. "I think it would be really fun to dress up in robot costumes and run around saying anime lines," he said. "But if you're not going to be happy with the quality, then what's the point? It's your project. You should be happy with it."

Ennoshita smiled. It reached up into his eyes, making the warm and glowing and sort of beautiful. "You are very kind, Hinata. But truthfully, these projects don't just belong to me. A lot of other people help, including you and Kino and Narita, and all of our friends from other schools who take time away from their lives to come help us create something together. Everyone's opinion is important."

Kinoshita sat up to rejoin the conversation, his face more serious now. "But your opinion matters the most, Chikara. You're our precious director. None of this would happen if it weren't for you. I don't even _like_ doing work outside outside of school and volleyball, and sometimes not even then. But you make it all fun and interesting, and I'm glad you dragged me into it."

Ennoshita started to turn red, then visibly forced himself to stop, glaring at Kinoshita with his eyebrows bent together. "When did this become a discussion about me? We're talking about whether or not we can do robots."

"If we do go with stop-motion, will the actors at least get to do the voices?" Hinata asked. He _really_ didn't want to miss the opportunity to say a lot of over-the-top mech pilot lines like _"Firing missiles now!"_ or _"We must protect the Earth! It is our duty!"_

"Of course," Ennoshita said. "It wouldn't be the same without voice acting." He paused suddenly, his eyes far away. "In fact, that's the problem with stop-motion animation, or one of them, anyway. The animators would have to figure out how to act with the toys as well as doing all the technical work. It's a tough job."

The three senpai went quiet for a long moment, considering. Hinata stared at them, looking from face to face. He was starting to feel a little dizzy and sick again, and something about this wasn't making sense. He didn't really want to say it, though, because surely he had to missing something. Why hadn't they thought it themselves?

But as the seconds ticked by and no one said anything, Hinata began to twitch uncomfortably. "Well..." he began slowly.

All three of them turned their faces to look at him, their eyes expectant. Hinata gulped, but it truly didn't feel that uncomfortable. They were just interested in his opinion, that was all. It wasn't a harsh scrutiny at all. Just mild and curious and attentive.

"Who said it had to be stop-motion?" Hinata dared to ask. "This is a student production, like you said. Couldn't the actors just hold the toys and move them around a little while they say the lines? I know Aone could make some cool backgrounds for them, too, so it will look like a skyline."

Ennoshita blinked, once, very slowly. "You're completely right, Hinata. My mind just immediately leaped to stop-motion because that's what you'd see in a big budget film that was using toys or miniatures. But we don't have to do that. Not at all. And if we shoot the robot toys from a low angle, it will make them look much bigger and cooler. That will also leave room off frame for the actors to manipulate them."

Narita and Kinoshita grinned at each other. Hinata thought they seemed kind of relieved. Like...they had really wanted this idea to work, for Ennoshita's sake, and they were happy to have a solution that made him happy.

After a moment to absorb this, Kinoshita straightened his shoulders and slapped his hand down on the scribbly napkin on the floor. "Okay! Story concepts?"

And they were off, chattering about all of the cliche robot and mech pilot plots and storylines they had all seen in a constant stream of anime for their entire lives. Hinata had some ideas to contribute here, too, simply because he'd always loved shows where giant robots blew things up.

After a while, though, Hinata's energy started to flag. He got quieter and quieter, listening more than he was talking, and eventually not talking at all. He pulled his blankets up to his shoulders and snuggled down into his futon, eyelids growing heavy. He kept watching his senpai, enjoying the animated expressions, the way Kinoshita waved his hands, the funny way Ennoshita would twist his mouth up when something struck him strongly. Hinata was really glad for the company. All of his teammates were so cool. It was awesome that he got to spend time with all of them.

Eventually, though, he faded out. The last thing he heard was Kinoshita exclaiming, with great gravity, "We must protect the Earth! It is our duty!"


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata had slept through lunch, but he shook his head when Yachi offered to warm up some leftovers for him later. His stomach lurched at the mere thought of facing food, and he told her so in a very small, pathetic voice that immediately prompted her to pat his head. All he wanted was ginger soda. Which was not a problem, since fully half of the fridge was now stocked with ginger soda. Apparently one or two (or half a dozen) volleyball players had tromped down to the convenience store and bought every last bottle they had.

Throughout the afternoon, Hinata felt gradually better and better, though never quite fully himself. He napped off and on, and when he was awake, there was usually someone else in the room hanging out with him. Hinata didn't know how they always seemed to send someone soon after he woke from his naps, and he didn't question it. His head hurt when he tried to think too hard, for one thing, and for another, he was really grateful and didn't care how they did it as long as they kept it up.

But then he woke from another restless sleep to an empty room, the light even dimmer than usual. The thin stripes of light still shining around the edges were golden, tinged with pink. The short winter day was drawing to a close.

Hinata rolled over on his side and looked at the door. Would someone come for him this time, too? He needed to use the bathroom. He could probably go on his own, but he didn't want to. And he wanted another ginger soda, and he knew whoever came would happily fetch one for him.

Hmm. Maybe he was getting a little spoiled.

But time passed and no one came, and Hinata started to feel restless. Maybe everyone was busy. Maybe they'd forgotten him. He thought he heard voices and movement in another part of the building, laughter and jokes, the clink of dishware.

His stomach gave a discontent rumble, and Hinata pressed a hand over it. Oh. It was dinner time. Everyone must be eating together, sitting around the tables, teasing each other, talking about what they'd done during the day. He still didn't want to eat, but he wished he was there hanging out everyone. It was what they were supposed to be doing, after all—hanging out, bonding, having fun. If only his stupid head hadn't decided to ruin everything out of the blue like that, ugh, nothing was fair...

His bladder demanded attention. Hinata couldn't simmer in his private pity party forever. After moment longer of lying there, contemplating how awful everything was, Hinata groaned and rolled to his feet. He staggered a bit as he crossed the room to the door, and in the hall he had to prop himself up on the wall, bare feet shuffling on the floor. It was cold, and he shivered. He wanted to go back to bed. Just as quick as possible, please.

He did his business, then moved out into the hallway again. Outside the door to the toilet, he leaned back against the wall and panted for a moment, letting the wall take his weight. He closed his eyes, feeling the solidity of the wall against the back of his head. He was grateful for it. His legs were trembling beneath him, and his head was spinning.

He could hear the voices from the common area more clearly from here. If he rolled his head slightly against the wall, he could look down the hall and see the light from the doorway painting the floor. He heard the cheerful voices, Tanaka's voice rising above the rest as he boasted to Noya about how many spikes he was going to hit in the next tournament. Noya laughed back at him, loud and joyful, and Daichi told them to quiet down and not ruin everyone's meal.

Everyone was having fun without him.

For a moment, Hinata felt transported back to middle school, when he had so starkly felt himself to be on the outside looking in. Here was something he wanted to do, wanted to be a part of almost desperately. Something that he would give everything he had to, body and soul, if only the opportunity was offered to him.

But he was denied. For three years he had worked alone, always alone, though his friends would help if he begged them. He was grateful for his friends then, truly he was, their willingness to set their own hobbies and clubs aside in order to help him try his hand at the sport he badly wanted to play. But they could never truly...share...in his passion. It wasn't theirs. They couldn't really come alongside him, no matter how much they cared about him and how much they wanted to make him happy. They couldn't be his teammates, and Hinata had very, very badly wanted to be on a team.

Hinata knew this wasn't the same thing. The people in the common area eating without him were his team. They definitely were. They had proved it a hundred times, and they had made it very clear even today. If he went to the doorway, leaning on the wall and looking pathetic, someone would jump up and help him to a seat. A half dozen people would ask him if wanted something to eat. A ginger soda would appear at his elbow as if by magic. Hinata could see it all happening so clearly in his head that he didn't need to do it. He knew they cared about him. They would take care of him, happily and without question, if he showed the need for it.

But right at this moment, Hinata did not feel part of the team. He was in the dark hallway and they were in the brightly lit room, eating and talking and enjoying each other's company. A sudden pang hit his heart, and he raised a hand and pressed it to his chest as if he had been stung.

What if... What if this didn't go away? What if the symptoms kept returning? Hinata couldn't control this. All day long, every since he first almost fell over in the hallway and then stumbled to the toilet to throw up, he had been wishing for this to go away. This pain, this weakness, this sudden affliction that laid him out flat and made him completely useless. It hadn't worked. Wishing hadn't banished the sickness, hadn't helped him in the slightest way. He couldn't do anything about this. He was helpless, at the mercy of whatever his body chose to do to him.

What if he got sick again on a game day? What if he couldn't play in nationals? What if...

What if he couldn't be on the team anymore?

His head was turning viciously now. Hinata turned away from the bright room and fumbled his way back to the dorm, leaning on the wall the entire way. If he had lost this, if it had been taken away from him in that single moment of violence... He didn't know what he would do.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was being ridiculous. Takeda-sensei had assured him that this was temporary, that it would pass quickly enough. The doctors had said that he was healing well, and they'd cleared him to play volleyball long ago. It was foolish to worry about events that were months away. There was no way to know if the symptoms would return at nationals, or if they would ever return at all. This had been so random, so unexpected... It was useless to worry about such a one-in-a-million misfortune far off in the future.

But in this moment, sick and weary and alone in the dark, Hinata couldn't stop his thoughts. Part of him knew that they were foolish and he was worrying himself unnecessarily. He knew he was just going to make himself more sick, that he would feel better if he focused on positive things like the great kindness all of his teammates had been showing him all day. He knew all of that, but he couldn't...he couldn't make the thoughts go away.

It was like the fear had been in the first couple of weeks after his concussion. Hinata reached his futon and lay down on top of the covers, curled up on his side with his face to the wall. He hadn't been able to control that, either. His inability to make the fear go away had been almost as stressful as the fear itself. Then, too, his teammates had stepped in to fill the gaps, soothing him and surrounding him in a wall of protection until he finally, finally began to feel safe again.

It was stupid. Hinata knew it, but that just made him feel worse, to know that he was being stupid but to be unable to make it stop. Kageyama would tell him he was being a dumbass, and he would be right. But Hinata didn't know how to fix it, didn't know to fix himself. The dark wall in front of him started to look even more dim, more blurry, and Hinata raised a fist and scrubbed at his damp eyes.

Crap. Now he was crying? This was so stupid. Hinata was embarrassed to be himself, now. Maybe it was a good thing no one else was with him. They would be embarrassed, too.

But then things changed. The light from the hallway got brighter, shining in the door to paint the wall in front of him. The noise from the common room was getting closer and louder, too, and at first Hinata didn't understand. He wasn't listening to the words his teammates were saying, just hearing the tones of their voices, cheerful and excited. Then the floor shivered, and the voices were right there, in the door of the room, and it was Yamaguchi.

"Hinata, can we come in?"

As if this was his private room at his home, not a large dorm area in a public inn. Hinata blinked at the wall, then scrubbed furiously at his face and looked backward over his shoulder. Yamaguchi was leaning in the door, smiling at him. Kageyama loomed over his shoulder, looking awkward but determined, and Yachi was poking up behind them, peeking nervously around Yamaguchi's side. Hinata blinked.

After a moment to absorb this, Hinata rolled over his back so he could look back at them. "Um. Yes?"

"Oh, good." Yamaguchi turned on the light in the room, then winced when Hinata flinched at the sudden brightness. "Oh no, I'm sorry. Does the light still hurt you?"

Hinata squinted up at the ceiling, then shook his head. "No, it's better. I was just surprised." He rolled up to a sitting position on his futon and watched as they shuffled in, Yamaguchi, Kageyama, Yachi, and, yes, Tsukishima behind them, all carrying plates of food with one hand and utensils with the other. "Um. Why did you want to come in?"

"We know you aren't ready for food yet, but we thought we could at least sit with you." Yamaguchi settled himself cross-legged near Hinata's futon. He balanced his plate one knee and set a pile of napkins on the floor. His forehead suddenly wrinkled up, and he looked to Hinata anxiously again. "Unless the smell bothers you?"

Hinata considered it, then shook his head. "Nah, I really do feel better. I'm just not hungry yet."

"Well, if you change your mind, let us know."

All four of the other first-years were now arranged on the floor near Hinata, distributing the things they'd been carrying amongst themselves as if they were setting out a picnic in a park. A fresh bottle of ginger soda appeared in front of Hinata so quickly that he didn't catch where it came from. He stared at Tsukishima suspiciously for a moment, but he wasn't looking him, apparently very occupied in staring at his plate of curry and rice.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Yachi sighed, looking around. "Kind of like when we get together and eat lunch in someone's classroom."

Hinata looked around, too. She had a point. It wasn't exactly like that, but there were similarities. The five of them choosing to be together when they didn't have to, making their own place in a building that didn't belong to any of them.

Hinata remembered the first time they had done this, the day he came back to school after his concussion. It had surprised him then, too. Kageyama had already made it clear that he intended to stick to Hinata's side like the world's grumpiest, scowliest burr, but Hinata hadn't expected Yamaguchi and Tsukishima to come visit him, too. Yachi, either. He had been delighted, of course—it had been _so good_ to spend time with them again—but he hadn't understood why.

Later he learned it was mostly because they were all worried about him. Because that guy and his friends were still causing problems and making threats, and they had wanted to make sure that Hinata was safe. Tsukishima had even stood up for Hinata in the hallway, taking down a third-year punk with the harshest, coolest speech Hinata had ever heard in his life. It was both heartwarming and a little frustrating that even people his own age had put such efforts into making sure Hinata was okay. He hadn't liked being forced to depend on others during that time, hadn't liked the fact that he was too weak to stand on his own. But he had been grateful that, since he did need support, plenty of people were willing to supply it.

But their lunchtime gatherings hadn't ended once that guy and his friends ceased to be a threat. They didn't eat together every day. Sometimes Yachi wanted to study, or Hinata and Kageyama would rather get in some extra practice, or Tsukishima was feeling anti-social and just wanted to listen to music. And that was all okay.

And other times, they did eat lunch together, dragging desks into a circle so they could face each other and talk and laugh and make plans and enjoy each other's company. And it was always so, so good. Hinata loved his friends, all of his friends, pretty much equally. But there was something special about these four people.

Even Tsukishima.

"Oi, dumbass," Kageyama poked Hinata's knee with the end of his spoon, making Hinata recoil.

"Ew, gross, Kageyama! Are you gonna eat with that now?"

Kageyama stared at him blandly. Then he scooped up a spoonful of curry and ate it. "I was trying to get your attention."

"Well, you succeeded, gross-kun. What did you want?"

"I just wanted to know if you were feeling good enough to play card games after supper. Everyone in the dining room was talking about having rematches from the last time."

Hinata raised his eyebrows. Oh, yes. At the Tokyo training camp, and later at the party at Tanaka's house, and probably other times, too, various of his teammates had played Hanafuda and Old Maid. It wouldn't be the same without their Tokyo friends, but that was no reason not to have fun with each other.

Hinata considered it. "I don't think I want to play Butta no Shippo right now. My body is still off-balance, and making sudden movements might make me dizzy or sick again. But other games, sure. It would be fun."

Kageyama nodded solemnly. "Okay. I'll let the senpai know we can set up in here, then. It's one of the biggest rooms in the inn so it will be easiest, anyway."

"Okay." Hinata perked up more at the idea. Seeing various teammates throughout the day when he had been awake had been nice, but it hadn't felt quite like the team vacation they were all supposed to be having, since he'd only see them all at once a couple of times. "That will be good."

Yachi looked anxious, though. "But what about skiing tomorrow? Do you think you'll be ready for that?" That was why Karasuno came out so far to the mountains, after all. A team vacation with lots of fun group activities, including a visit to a ski resort on the second full day. Hinata vaguely remembered some talk about snowball fights and building snow rabbits, too, and maybe some of the others had done that this afternoon, but he hadn't been able to join in.

Hinata slumped, his mouth pulling down at the edges. "I don't know." He didn't want to think about it. He had already missed out on so much. What if he had to miss that part, too? His parents had already paid for the ticket ahead of time and everything. It would be such a waste if he couldn't take advantage of the chance. He'd only been skiing a couple of times before, both school trips where he was stuck on easy slopes with beginner classes, and he had been very, very excited about getting to try something a little more fun.

Yamaguchi shook his head. "Let's not worry about it. You still have all night to rest up, and a lot can happen in twelve hours. You're already feeling much better now than you did even when we came back from practice six hours ago. Who knows what the morning will bring? Let's not worry."

The others glanced at each other, then nodded in determination. A chorus of, "Yes, let's not worry. Nothing to be done. I'm sure everything will be okay," sounded out.

Hinata smiled. It was a little tremulous, but he meant it. Everyone sounded very sure, though he knew that they weren't truly as confident as they wanted him to believe. He was grateful.

A light knock sounded at the door, and Hinata looked up. Daichi was standing there, looking over the five of them with a smile. "Ah, we wondered where you had gone. Suga said you all must be here, and he was right."

"Hello, Daichi-san." Hinata gave him a little wave. "Sorry for taking your teammates away from your dinner gathering."

Daichi laughed, deep and rich and kind. "How can you take away something we both have? I'm glad they came to keep you company." He paused, as if something had occurred to him, then went on. "In fact, why don't we all come in here for dessert? There's tea and fruit, and I think some mochi. As long as that wouldn't be too overwhelming for you, Hinata? You do look much stronger now."

Hinata grinned. "I'm fine! Yes, that would be great. I'd love to have everyone in here for dessert. And card games later, too."

Daichi beamed at him. "Good! I'll go fetch everyone. Do you want some ginger tea now, or will you stick with your ginger soda?"

Hinata glanced at the soda in front of him, then looked back to his captain. "Tea would be nice. Thank you."

Daichi gave him a thumbs up, then disappeared from the doorway.

As soon as he was gone, Yamaguchi punched Tsukishima in the arm. "I thought you were going to tell the senpai where we were going."

Tsukishima did not look in the least perturbed. "I forgot."

"No, you were just lazy."

Tsukishima bobbled his head in a gesture that was neither yes nor no.

It was so hilarious to hear Yamaguchi scolding and Tsukishima taking it so easily that Hinata laughed out loud, his head rolling back on his shoulders. He could hardly believe that he'd been crying just a little while ago. He couldn't remember why. His team was wonderful. He didn't know what he would do without them.

Fortunately, he would never have to find out. They had made that clear.

After dessert and games, there was some worry about Hinata needing somewhere quiet to spend the night rather than a dorm full of a dozen other people, but Hinata insisted (quite sleepily at that point) that he was fine and he would rather be with everyone else than apart. And since his symptoms weren't contagious, there was really no need for anyone to move. Suga and Ennoshita took Hinata's futon outside to shake it out and freshen it, then brought it back and set it up again for him. It was blissfully cool and comfortable, and Hinata drifted off while everyone else was still getting ready for sleep.

One problem with being sick, though, was that too much sleeping during the day could lead to not enough sleeping at night. Hinata woke sometime after midnight and stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment, trying to remember where he was. His stomach was grumbling, but not with hunger, and it took him a moment to realize that, oh, yes, he'd been feeling nauseated a lot today.

"Oh no," Hinata whispered. He really didn't want to throw up again. He'd only done it once, and that was enough. The ginger soda and tea and the lack of any solid food had kept his stomach relatively subdued all day long. Why was it coming back now?

"Ugh, no, please..." Hinata pushed his covers aside and shoved himself upright. His elbows trembled and almost dropped him back into the futon, but he struggled through. Throwing up again would be terrible, but throwing up in his bed, in the same room where everyone else was sleeping, would be even worse.

Kageyama was in the futon next to him, sleeping flat on his back and snoring lightly. Hinata nudged him experimentally, but was not surprised when Kageyama didn't even twitch. Kageyama almost always slept like a baby whenever they were on trips together, dead to the world as long as the lights were out, though he woke up easily and well in the morning, every single time. Like he was the perfect athlete or something. Ugh.

Hinata heaved a deep sigh that almost made him dizzy again. There was nothing for it. He was going to have to get up. He rolled over on to his knees first, then slowly levered himself upright. On his feet, he staggered, but kept himself from falling onto somebody and ruining their entire night. He didn't want to bother anyone. They had all been so kind and attentive all day long. They needed their rest for the ski trip tomorrow.

Hinata's stomach gave another rumble of protest, and he pressed a hand to his middle and began to shuffle his way through the close-set futons toward the door. He stared at the dark opening without wavering, almost without blinking. It slowly, slowly came closer. He was afraid that if he looked away for even a second, he might lose his resolve or his strength and go down again.

"Hinata? Are you okay?"

The whisper startled Hinata, and he went stock still. His shoulders hunched up to his ears as goosebumps tingled to life across his shoulders, and he whipped his head toward the source of the sound. Someone was sitting up in a futon near the door, watching him. Large frame, long hair trailing messily to his shoulders... Ah, it was Asahi.

Hinata blinked at him. "I'm sorry, senpai. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Asahi shook his head. "You didn't wake me. I often have trouble sleeping away from home. Are you okay? Do you need help getting to the bathroom?"

Hinata looked back to the doorway. He should be able to make it on his own. He really should. But if he didn't have to do it alone, he didn't really want to.

He looked back to Asahi and shrugged sheepishly. "Maybe."

"Okay." Asahi nodded smoothly, like it was no big deal. Like it was just natural to wake up in the middle of the night and help an ailing kouhai to the toilet.

He got to his feet, barely seeming to disturb his bedding, and reached Hinata's side in two easy strides. His strong hand came under Hinata's elbow and wrapped around from beneath, and his other arm circled Hinata's shoulders. "Let's go. You'll be okay. I'll make sure of it."

He sounded confident. It was a little weird. Asahi got them to the door and down the hallway so easily that Hinata forgot that he'd been expecting the journey to be a struggle. In the bathroom, though, once again, he didn't throw up.

He leaned over the toilet for a several long moments, staring at the water while the harsh lights above seemed to sear into his brain, but nothing came up. He didn't even heave. His stomach just...ached and rumbled and whined. It was like a fractious child that didn't know what it wanted, and Hinata didn't know what to do for it.

"Hinata?" Asahi's voice was soft but worried. It echoed a little against the empty tiles. "Are you okay? You've been quiet for a long time."

"Nothing's coming up," Hinata muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing's coming up," Hinata said, just a touch louder. His voice sounded more irritated than pained. "I thought I had to throw up, but nothing's coming. I don't understand. My stomach is all...like...angry. I thought throwing up would make me feel better, but I can't."

"Oh." Asahi sounded relieved. "Maybe you're actually hungry, not nauseated."

Hinata squinted at the stubbornly clean water, then tilted his head, eyes squinting in confusion. "Hah?"

"Maybe you're hungry." Again that unusual confidence in Asahi's voice. "It happens sometimes when my stomach has been upset for a long time. When it finally stops and my stomach starts growling for food again, it's hard to recognize at first. It's like the signals get confused."

"Hmm." Hinata blinked at the toilet. Maybe his stomach was messing with him. It would be par for the course for this miserable day.

"You haven't really eaten anything today, right?" Asahi asked. "You didn't even want any treats after dinner." He shuffled closer to Hinata's stall and knocked his knuckles gently on the metal door. "C'mon, let's go to the kitchen."

Hinata knelt for a second longer, confused and irritated and starting to feel dizzy just from kneeling upright for an extended length of time. Finally, he fumbled for the door and hauled himself up, then staggered out into the larger bathroom where Asahi caught his elbow again.

Asahi was smiling, warm and kind and understanding. "I've got you. Come on. I know there was some fruit left. You might be surprised by how much better it will make you feel to eat something."

In the kitchen, Asahi propped Hinata up against a counter, then hustled over to the fridge. He murmured under his breath, almost singing himself, as he leaned inside and rearranged something on the shelves, then pulled back with a covered bowl in his hands. "I found it." He sounded quietly triumphant, beaming like he had just hit a spike past three blockers with nothing but his own strength.

He brought the bowl over to Hinata and peeled off the cover, then dug around until he found a banana. He started to hand it to Hinata, then looked at his face, paused, and opened it for him as well. "Here. Try it."

Hinata was skeptical, but as soon as the banana was in his hand, close enough to smell, his mouth started watering. His first bite was tentative, and he half-expected to have to lunge for the sink when his stomach erupted. But it didn't. The banana was delicious, flavorful without overwhelming his high-strung senses. As soon as it hit his stomach, it seemed like he could feel the strength flowing into his limbs.

"Oh." He paused, then looked up at Asahi with wide eyes. "Oh. Thank you."

He took another bite, bigger than the first, then another. Suddenly, he felt like he couldn't eat enough. He needed to finish this banana, then eat another. Maybe _ten_ bananas.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Asahi reached out and grabbed his hand just as Hinata was about to stuff the entire thing into his face. "Not too fast. Slow down. Be kind to your poor tummy—it's had a rough day."

Hinata snorted—who knew that Asahi could be hilarious?—but he did slow down. Just a little. Once it was all in his stomach, he had to pause, the empty peel hanging limply from his hand. His gut was churning. Asahi was right; he should have taken it more slowly. Hinata gulped, suddenly worried again.

But after a few moments, it all settled down. Hinata pressed a hand to his stomach, tenderly probing himself. The grumbling was quieter now, still present, but not nearly as bad. Already, he felt stronger, standing more firmly on his feet. He thought he could probably make it back to his futon on his own power now. Maybe.

He looked up at Asahi again, eyes wide with gratitude this time. "Thank you, Asahi-san. Thank you so much. You were right. I feel a lot better now."

Asahi beamed like a sunrise. "Good! I'm so glad." He turned back to the fridge, hand already reaching for the handle. "How about some leftover rice? Just a little. Rice is easy to digest, and it's good cold, too."

Hinata nodded. "Yes, please."

It didn't take a lot to fill Hinata up. Nowhere ten bananas, or even three. But he felt much, much better as Asahi led him back down the hall to the dorm room, and once there, he all but fell into his futon and slept like the dead. His stomach barely bothered him at all.


End file.
